Buhari writes Senate, seeks confirmation of Tarfa as Chairman, North East Devt Commission

as Senate adjourns plenary in honour of late rep, Ayeola By Henry Umoru ABUJA – PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has written the Senate, seeking for the screening and subsequent confirmation of former Military governor of Old Oyo State, Major- General Paul Tarfa, retd as the Chairman of the North East Development Commission, NEDC. In a letter dated 8th January, 2019 and addressed to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Paul Tarfa who hails from Adamawa State and former Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna will chair the board which has eleven members. In the letter read by Saraki during Plenary Wednesday, President Buhari also nominated Mohammed Alkali as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission and nine others as members of the board of the commission. Other nominees according to the President are Musa Uma Yashi – ED Humanitarian Affairs; Muhammed Jawa B. – Executive Director, Admin and Finance; Omar Maiwaida Mohammed – Executive Director, Operations; Hon. David Sabo Kente – Member representing North East zone; Asmau Mai- Eka Mohammed – Member representing North West zone; Benjamin Tilley Adanyi- Member representing Central zone; Olawale Oshun-.Member representing South West zone; Dr. T. E.O. Nkechi – Member representing South East and Mr. Obasuke McDonald – Member representing South South zone. In the letter titled, ” Request for Confirmation of Appointment of Chairman and members of the North East Development Commission, the President said, ” in accordance with the provision of Section 2(5)(b) of the North East Development Commission Act, 2017, I write to forward, for confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the under luster names of eleven( 11) nominees as Chairman, and members of the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission. ” It is my hope that the Distinguished Senate will consider and confirm the nominees in the usual expeditious manner.” Meanwhile, President Muhammed Buhari has also written to the Senate, seeking for the screening and subsequent confirmation of Modibbo R. Hamman Tukur as a Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU. Buhari in the letter dated 7th January, 2019 and read by Saraki said, ” In accordance with the provision of Section 5(1) of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU ACT, 2018, I have the pleasure to present Modibbo R. Hamman Tukur as a Director of the Unit for Confirmation by the Senate.” However, the Senate, adjourned plenary till Thursday (today) in honour the late member of the House of Representatives representing Ibeju-Lekki Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Mr. Abayomi Ayeola, who died on December 30, 2018 The motion to adjourn and observe a minute silence in honour of the lawmaker was raised by the Deputy Chief Whip of the, Senator Francis Alimikhena, APC, Edo North and seconded by the Senate Minority leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi, PDP, Ekiti South. The federal lawmakers had adjourned plenary on December 20, 2018 to enable them to participate in the yuletide and new year celebrations and the Lagos lawmaker died during the break. It would be recalled that the Senate had in October, 2016, finally passed the North-east Development Commission Bill which empowers the federal government to set up a commission to rebuild the North-east region following its devastation by Boko Haram insurgents. Also in October, 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law, the North East Development Commission (Establishment) Act, 2017. The Act establishes the North-East Development Commission with the mandate to receive and manage funds allocated by the Federal Government and international donor agencies for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of insurgency as well as tackling the menace of poverty and environmental challenges of the area. Recall that the Senate had in July, 2017, passed the bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency, one week after it was sponsored in the chamber. The passage followed the adoption of the report by the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes on the bill. The body, which is currently a department in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, was moved to the Central Bank of Nigeria. The Senate said the bill was aimed at making the NFIU autonomous to pave the way for the Nigeria’s re-admittance into the EGMONT Group after the country’s suspension. Also recall that President Muhammadu Buhari in July, 2017, signed the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit Bill into law. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters( Senate), Ita Enang, who had disclosed it, described the NFIU as the Nigerian arm of the global financial intelligence unit which was before now domiciled in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. He said the new law sought to comply with international standards on combating money laundering, financing of terrorism and check suspicious transactions. The establishment of the NFIU is based on the requirements of Recommendation 29 of the Financial Action Task Force Standards and Article 14 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. With the signing of the new Act, NFIU will now be independent of the EFCC. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/buhari-writes-senate-seeks-confirmation-of-tarfa-as-chairman-north-east-devt-commission/